ECG Pace Pulse Detection via Dual-Path Signal Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ECG devices face challenges in detecting pace pulses due to their high frequency and the complexity of pacemaker technology, which can lead to false positives and the filtering out of pacemaker activity by lowpass filters, making it difficult to distinguish true pace pulses from artifacts and electrostatic interference.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a frontend device that samples ECG data at a high frequency to identify candidate pace pulses and generates waveform descriptors characterizing these pulses, allowing for their preservation and subsequent down-sampling to lower fidelity data for clinical use, while a backend device distinguishes true pulses from artifacts and presents them for user analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ECG data is down-sampled using a lowpass filter to decrease temporal resolution, then data processing efficiency is improved, but pace pulses are filtered out and become indistinguishable from artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the signal processing into two distinct pathways: a high-fidelity path that preserves high-frequency pace pulse information for detection purposes, and a down-sampled path that provides efficient overview data. This segmentation allows the system to maintain detection accuracy while achieving processing efficiency through selective application of down-sampling and filtering operations.
2Measurement precision
If high sampling frequency is used to detect fast pace pulses, then detection accuracy is improved, but data volume and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by maintaining high sampling frequency and full fidelity only in the specific region where pace pulse detection is critical, while allowing other portions of the ECG data to be processed at lower fidelity. This enables the system to concentrate computational resources where they are most needed for accurate pace pulse identification without unnecessarily complexity the entire processing pipeline.
3Reliability
If lowpass filter is applied to remove high-frequency noise, then signal quality is improved, but pacemaker activity is filtered out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach by creating a separate high-fidelity signal pathway that bypasses the lowpass filter. This intermediary path preserves the high-frequency pacemaker activity information that would otherwise be lost, allowing the system to apply filtering for noise reduction in the main pathway while maintaining intact the critical pace pulse information in the parallel pathway for accurate detection.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure relates to methods and systems for detecting pace pulses in electrocardiogram (ECG) data. First ECG data associated with a first sampling frequency can be obtained. Candidate pace pulses in the first ECG data can be identified. Additional data comprising waveform descriptors characterizing the candidate pace pulses can be generated. Second ECG data can be generated by down-sampling the first ECG data. The second ECG data can be associated with a second sampling frequency that is lower than the first sampling frequency. Multiple ECG waveforms can be presented based on the second ECG data. The waveform descriptors characterizing candidate pace pulses can be presented based on the additional data.